Some Tips For Video Shooting

[RyanJ]

This is from Guilty at forums.nin.com

Hey all

I want to consolidate some of the advice/hints/tips/tricks on taking awesome footage on your digicams in the near future

Please post in the thread if you have film experience.

Here's some common sense items:

1) Engage the "steady-shots" and don't move. Simple stuff but the music will move you. Resist! That also means you can't bounce around and you can't be swinging from the rafters either. Yes that's no fun. Yes that sucks.

2) Don't need your audio as can get better from elsewhere (sound boards?) but for ease of editing FOR KRIST SAKES DON'T SING either! >_< Editor thanks you in advance.

3) Pick a side of the stage or pick a member of the band and stick to it. Don't move it around. Don't be tempted to catch that little bit of action that just happened out of the corner of your eye. If the band member is moving around keep them in frame as best as possible. Hard to do especially if you are using a shittier camera and your zoom is crap but luckily you're not filming aaron north IF need be, agree with your fellow videographers and pick a side.

4) Make sure you got extra batteries and extra SD cards. This cannot be stressed enough! No one wants to have that excellent shot ruined cuz it ran out of juice.

more to come ....

Filming a long stretch of footage is not easy. It'd be a bit of a sacrifice to do this but in the end you will have a very good quality product.

Just saying...

-g-

[ieatseippup]

http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/03/13/how-to-record-live-performances-concerts-plays-etc/

some valuable info here.

[TheMaestro]

A monopod helps get steady video. If you could get a tripod in that would even be better. You can usually just walk in with a monopod as your cane. This is one of the best monopods to shoot video with: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/434422-REG/Bogen_Manfrotto_560B_Fluid_Video_Monopod.html It has a fluid head at the bottom by its feet. You can make some really smooth pans with it.

If you're going to be using a monopod or tripod, your video will be more steady than if you were holding the cam. You would only bump or introduce shake to the camcorder when you are zooming. Most professional camcorders have a LANC port or another port that allows the user to connect a separate zoom control. That way the user does not need to touch the camera when zooming. Unfortunately, most consumer camcorders only come with a infrared remote control. A solution to this problem, would be to use a toslink fiber optic audio cable in place of an electrical connection. Just cut the ends off of the cable and tape one end onto ir led on the remote and the other to the ir receiver on the camcorder(usually on the front). Here is an example of the mod that I did: http://img246.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p1050033ps9.jpg

This idea is originally from: http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=364



-Trenton

[RyanJ]

Thanks Trenton with that info. it really helps. I forgot.. but you did tape NIN in Minneapolis aud and vid?

[TheMaestro]

Only aud, I couldn't do video, too many inebriated people around me. Security was constantly coming down to my section. I was too close to the bass, so it overloaded my mics. The sound where I was, was really boomy. I decided to stop taping 2 minutes into nin, but I left my recorder on. When I found out I just let it roll. My mics fell out of their position too. In general I pretty much failed.

-Trenton

[RyanJ]

Its cool. We will make it up for you for LV!

[scott_pawsey]

A user on nin.com brought up a good point, I'll copy and paste it.

"The band is not in a position to make any policy regarding video cameras. Each venue has the right to charge them for the right to film inside. Apparently strings were pulled for the show tonight, but Vegas is Vegas and you're nuts if you think PH will pass up the revenue. All I'm saying is there will almost certainly be no "relaxed policy" on the 13th and anything you take in will most likely have to be smuggled in. Also a theater show with all reserved seating will have security EVERYWHERE just to keep people in their seats and they will certainly be ready to take you and your camcorder out of the theater.

Just a word of caution. A show in a theater in Vegas is a very different beast from an arena in Vicoria, bottom line.
"

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